Overview
Hermeticism or alchemy is the sacred science of nature by which human beings in all times and places have sought to unite Heaven and Earth-divinity, cosmos, earth, and humanity-for the sake of the world. Dedicated to healing and harmony, it has accompanied each religious epoch and every revelation from India and China to the Abrahamic West. In a sense, it is the primal cosmological revelation: the common element in all spiritual traditions. Nevertheless, in the revival of spiritual traditions and practices, Hermeticism and alchemy-like Nature herself-have been largely ignored. Green Hermeticism proposes that it is time to explore not only our ancient masters' "inner" sciences, but also their sciences of Nature.With this in mind, a series of gatherings was held at the Abode of the Message in Upstate New York to unfold the contemporary meaning of Hermeticism. Green Hermeticism is a partial record of what went on. Peter Lamborn Wilson explores many aspects and possibilities-symbolic, imaginal, and practical-opened up by the idea of Green Hermeticism; Christopher Bamford provides a broad historical and metaphysical overview of the tradition from the Ancient Mysteries to the present day; while Kevin Townley teaches the preparation of herbal elixirs, demonstrating that cosmology and philosophy can become a truly healing path for the Earth. Green Hermeticism is necessary reading for anyone seeking a spiritual and cultural path for the healing of our current ecological and cultural moment.
Synopsis
Hermeticism or alchemy is the sacred science of nature by which human beings in all times and places have sought to unite Heaven and Earth-divinity, cosmos, earth, and humanity-for the sake of the world. Dedicated to healing and harmony, it has accompanied each religious epoch and every revelation from India and China to the Abrahamic West. In a sense, it is the primal cosmological revelation: the common element in all spiritual traditions. Nevertheless, in the revival of spiritual traditions and practices, Hermeticism and alchemy-like Nature herself-have been largely ignored. Green Hermeticism proposes that it is time to explore not only our ancient masters' "inner" sciences, but also their sciences of Nature.
With this in mind, a series of gatherings was held at the Abode of the Message in Upstate New York to unfold the contemporary meaning of Hermeticism. Green Hermeticism is a partial record of what went on. Peter Lamborn Wilson explores many aspects and possibilities-symbolic, imaginal, and practical-opened up by the idea of Green Hermeticism; Christopher Bamford provides a broad historical and metaphysical overview of the tradition from the Ancient Mysteries to the present day; while Kevin Townley teaches the preparation of herbal elixirs, demonstrating that cosmology and philosophy can become a truly healing path for the Earth. Green Hermeticism is necessary reading for anyone seeking a spiritual and cultural path for the healing of our current ecological and cultural moment.